KING CRIMSON — In The Court Of The Crimson King (review)

KING CRIMSON — In The Court Of The Crimson King album cover Album · 1969 · Jazz Related Rock Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
EntertheLemming
Crown of Thorns

Time for a little revisionism here methinks... Reviewers of this album are often at a loss to reconcile the disparity between its indisputable influence and its musical merit. In the case of the former, it made Prog fleetingly 'hip' and served to convince the money men that this type of artistic expression could shift shed loads of units. In the case of the latter, we are left with an endearing work that left its inimitable mark on all those who fell within its magical slipstream. Yes, this is one of the most important prog records EVER No, this is NOT the flawless masterpiece touted as a 5 star effort by most of the genre's myopic curators

Therefore, at the risk of appearing bludgeoning, there are only three tracks on this record that you really couldn't live without: 21st Century Schizoid Man - Epitaph - In the Court of the Crimson King

The remainder are pleasant enough but do inevitably betray the origins of the band in its gestation period of hippy 60's pop through freeform freakout wankery. ie. Giles + Giles + Fripp = Flanders + Swann + flares + chemicals

What is also interesting about this record is that it subsequently shaped everyone's perceptions of what King Crimson were about, irrespective of how much they grew and developed over time. To wit, mention the name to anyone over 40 and you will get that lazy response - 'Groovy, peace man, far out, let's all make love etc' - Anyone who has heard the band live circa 69-70 will testify that 'In the Court' only hints at the sort of ferocity and confrontational power that were integral to the Crimson experience. The irony of their 'hippy drippy' label is one that probably hindered Crimson's material success in later incarnations. If you seek further evidence, check out the numerous collectors club releases lovingly remastered by Robert Fripp himself to see the sort of feral jazz intensity they exuded live.

So for me at any rate, this album is not even representative of our fave red critter at the time of its release and it could be argued that 'Court' was culpable in creating a level of expectation amongst it's subjects that the Crimson King was never really in a position to satisfy. Much of this music has aged far less gracefully that that of it's contemporaries (the Nice, Procul Harum, Arthur Brown) and notwithstanding the three indispensable tracks, the earnest apologists for 'Moonchild' must be guilty of intuiting the 'Music of the Spheres' from the sound of their engines idling at a red light.
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